Don't Work for God!

Don’t work for the Lord! Work with him!

Why are there so many discouraged and burned-out pastors? Why do so many leave the ministry? Didn’t Jesus say that his burden would be light?

Maybe ministry has become too heavy, because too much has been added by man. Too much of human ambitions and desires to influence and accomplish and control. Too much of duties, worries and fear.

Jesus simply expects us to follow him and make disciples. Then, naturally, we take care of each other as a family.

This is not a problem, as long as there is no position to achieve or to keep. And no other obligations and expectations that come along with it are stealing your focus.

Without position, you can do as little or as much as you are able to, or have faith for, or think that you can afford. In this way, your burden is self-regulating. It never grows beyond your ability and your faith. Still, it can grow, slowly enough to enable you to grow along with it.

I don’t think we need to make up a great vision or strategy or plan, just because this is what all the leadership books tell us and what every great church seems to have. It’s just a guessing anyway. And a burden. Or even a curse.

And we don’t need to prove our spirituality or ability as a leader to anyone, neither to ourselves. The Lord leads by his Spirit and defines what success is, and he alone is to be honoured.

So, don’t worry.

Don’t worry about “your ministry”. It’s not yours anyway, but Jesus'. And don’t submit to wrong expectations from others. Instead, find out what the Lord already has prepared for you.

And join in WITH him!

Comments

Dan

Are you a pastor or a church leader? The stress doesn’t come from position. It comes from people who have messages from God, who call all hours every day asking for guidance, from different institutions demanding papers and other documents for everything you as a church do. It comes from making constant decisions. It comes from good meaning folks who think you should do this or that. It comes from people trying to take control of the vision God has given to you and go a direction u know is not what God has for your church.

Egmont Mika

Thank you, Dan, for your comment. You are right that position in itself would not be a problem, but the things you mention are the very things that come along with position.